Our Story

Tidal Pool Brooklyn is a small, handmade jewelry company with an emphasis on structured minimalist pieces. The company was created by yours truly, Pam Pollis. The idea of designing jewelry was based on a dream I had about three years ago. For real!  I've been a shell collector/beach scavenger for many years, and after a day at the beach, I had a dream in which I made a necklace out of a shell shard, applied a swath of gold leaf on a corner, and hung a dangling gem from it. Voila! When I awoke, I knew what I had to do.  In order to make my dream a reality, I went to the Bead District in Manhattan to gather material to make this necklace, and BAM! I was blown away by what I saw.  I was literally thrown into the world of jewelry assemblage.  

At this point, I was living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and was about to lose my space of 28 years. Being priced/squeezed out of Brooklyn catapulted me into a small town at the tip of a barrier island, only 45 minutes from Brooklyn. It's here, that the idea of “Tidal Pool” really came to fruition, and my work developed beyond the realm of shell pieces. Being a vintage collector and picker for many years, what I make is truly assembled from what is collected or washed up in my “tidal pool.” I hand source all my materials, many of them vintage, and I play with the strength in the juxtaposition of materials.

My background is heavy on the arty side. I have a BFA in visual arts and did architectural rendering and decorative painting for 25+ years. With this background, I bring a specific eye and point of view to my work. I rely heavily on structure and organic form, and less on shine and glitz. Being a product of the 70's myself (guess that makes me vintage too!), my pieces reflect a strong, minimalist aesthetic. I currently create understated, statement pieces in a pink 1932 beach bungalow, still on the tip of a barrier island!